


Trial and Error(s)

by tanyart



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Betrayal, Cheating on your PVP vendor., M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23125603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanyart/pseuds/tanyart
Summary: Shin hasn't seen Drifter in weeks, and Season of the Worthy is about to start.
Relationships: The Drifter/Shin Malphur
Comments: 4
Kudos: 100





	Trial and Error(s)

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY TRIALS OF OSIRIS. Here's a quick s/d fic to celebrate.

After half a month of radio silence from Drifter, Shin goes right on ahead and sends up a transmat request to the Derelict. It takes a couple of seconds to get a response, and even then it’s just an automated confirmation. No snide text or audio reply. Either way, Shin doesn’t hesitate to accept the confirmation up.

The transmat plops him right at the edge of Drifter’s workshop — not that there’s much room to land anywhere else. Every free inch of space is taken up by either a tool, an unfinished armor part, or discarded take-out boxes. The corner of Shin’s cloak catches on a skeletal arm piece and his boots crunch over broken bits of metal and unprogrammed glimmer. He hasn’t even taken a step anywhere yet. At this point, Shin figures his social visit's gonna end up being a welfare check.

In the middle of the mess, Drifter pokes his head out, looks at Shin like he’s nothing really worth noting, and ducks back down.

“‘Bout time you showed up,” Drifter gripes. “Toss me that socket, will ya? No, the 13 centimeter one. No, _no_. The one for Hadronic — yeah. That’s the one.”

Shin tosses the socket, which Drifter catches at the cost of his elbow knocking a toolkit over. The sound is less of a violent crash and more of a resigned tumble of things falling on top of more things that had already fallen over. Drifter doesn’t even blink.

“When’s the last time you showered or rezzed?” Shin asks, wrinkling his nose. He starts picking his way closer, though at this point he’s just pushing things aside to make a path.

“Don’t got the time, quick draw,” Drifter mutters. He sounds half-distracted, chattering like he’s only talking to himself. “Ain’t you heard? Trials is comin’ back. Gotta come up with some new armor sets. Guns, too.”

It'd be a trip to see Malfeasance pistols in Trials. Thorn, too, if Saint is willing to turn a blind eye. (And the Exo is only ever _blind_ by sheer willfulness.) Shin makes a noise of agreement and finally gets a better look at Drifter, and finds the view a little worse for wear. More than the usual, at any rate.

Hair’s gotten a bit long, eyes lookin’ manic and wild. Smell-wise… well. A bit ripe. But that’s expected from a guy who’d gone radio silent for over two weeks.

Shin peers over a stack of tablets and discarded leg armor designs. Drifter himself seems to be working on something entirely different — a weapon. “Didn’t think there was much to worry about.”

“I’m not worried, but you _know_ Osiris’ little sweat fest is gonna snatch up my best Invaders left ‘n right. And once they’re gone the rest will wanna see what's what. Gotta keep the Gambit rewards fresh-” Drifter stops, glancing at Shin. His eyes narrow.

And Shin knows _exactly_ where Drifter’s looking. He shrugs, stepping a little closer so that Drifter can see his Trial’s crest emblazoned on his chestplate in full view. It’s impossible to resist a cheeky tug at the hem of his matching hood for good measure.

“ _You_ ,” Drifter hisses and sounds damn near close to sputtering before his expression quickly smooths off. His lip curls for some biting remark, but once his eyes actually land on the armor's tidy patterns, his interest takes an immediate swerve towards the technical. Mercury-gold plates and weaving always make for a good impression, as well as durability.

“You got something to say?” Shin prompts when Drifter’s grim silence drags on for a minute too long.

To Drifter’s credit, his critical gaze isn’t all pure spite for the armor. No, the spite’s all for Shin. “To a sellout like you?” he sneers, stepping away. “I don’t think so.” He goes back to furiously bolting on two barrels together in what looks like a shotgun.

“Retirement's been rough. Gotta make glimmer somehow,” Shin says, dry. “‘Sides, it don’t hurt to be in Saint’s good graces. Ended up helping him run a few test matches and got a couple of new pieces for the work.”

"Just had to get your hands on the cloak too?” Drifter sniffs, still sounding like he's trying to be mean. But joke's on him, it's a good-looking cloak. They both know it.

Shin tugs at the hood again. He smiles, playing oblivious and wondering how far he can run with this. “A little extra promo work on my part. I walk around the Tower in Trials gear and other Guardians get a sneak peak. Saint liked the idea."

One of the barrels snaps off in Drifter's hands.

“Hey, and I don’t mean to pry—” Shin starts over Drifter’s string of swearing. (Drifter stops long enough to let out a bark of laughter.) “—but didn’t you already have a shotgun as your last pinnacle weapon?”

Lucky for him Drifter had broken off that shotgun barrel a second ago. Shin thinks if the shotgun had been finished he would've been its first victim. Instead, Drifter dismantles the entire thing back to glimmer and weapon parts. He turns to Shin, one hand on his hip and inches away from his gun. Not quite a threat, but definitely an indicator of how pissed a guy can be.

“You here for a reason?” Drifter asks lightly, “‘Cause you’re being a pain in the ass.”

 _Oomph._ Shin puts up his hands and dares to take a step closer that’ll put him right in Drifter’s bubble. “Settle down. I’m just here to check up on things.”

Drifter steps back. Any more and he’s going to run into another pile of rejected weapon designs. “ _Check up._ Yeah, right. ‘Cause you’ve been a huge help so far.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Get off my ship.”

The movement is exaggerated enough that it’s easy to do something dramatic in return. Shin grabs Drifter by the wrist, pulling it close as he leans in. “Hey, I’ve got an investment in Gambit too.” At Drifter’s indignant look, Shin stares him down, gratified that Drifter doesn’t avoid his gaze. “Or maybe you forgot I had a hand in helping you build it.” 

“Didn’t forget,” Drifter growls, “Matter of fact, it’s a huge sore spot for me.”

Shin laughs at that, short and sharp. He shakes his head, hand turning so that it coaxes Drifter’s wrist to slide lower. With a wry smile, he replies, “I wanna see Gambit thrive as much as you do.”

It’s not meant to be reassuring, only the truth, and Drifter doesn’t look any more relieved by it, his unease magnified by the dark bags under his sleepless eyes and blanched skin. Drifter, Shin realizes, had gone very still and very tense. He lets go of Drifter’s wrist. It drops like a weight against his chest — he’s put himself that close to Drifter. 

Drifter seems to have realized this as well. He goes back to staring at the Trial’s chestpiece, frowning and no doubt seeing his own golden reflection frown right back at him. His nail scratches at the design, testing.

After a few drawn out seconds, Shin breaks the silence, assuming Drifter’s brain must’ve overclocked days ago. He shifts his cloak. “You want a better look? I can turn around.”

“I want it _off_ ,” Drifter says, his voice rough. There’s a small shudder as he straightens his shoulders, like he’s trying to shake off that residual fear.

“I can make that happen,” Shin says, low, but on his next breath he adds, “After you shower.”

Drifter shoots him a glare. He turns away, gathering a few datapads and transmatting them away. “Can it, smartass. I’ve got some new armor mods I wanna see in action.”

“Did I stutter?” Shin says, unclipping the Trials cloak and already working off the chestpiece. Drifter never takes his eyes off him, and Shin decides he’ll take it, even like this. “I said yeah— _after you shower_.”


End file.
